Owners of massage parlors arrested for prostitution

-- Deepa Bharath

Police arrested the owners of two Bristol Street massage parlors

Wednesday night on suspicion of prostitution and operating without a

permit, authorities said.

Mea Ok Mun, 43, and Nuwee Wattanakaew, 47, were taken into custody

after a random inspection, said Costa Mesa Police Sgt. Don Holford.

Police said the names of the businesses were not available Friday.

Police found evidence of the businesses operating illegally without

permits, said Holford.

The city has also been cracking down on massage parlors that are

suspected of being fronts for prostitution houses. Last month, the city

sent letters the landlords of four strip mall landlords alleging that

some of their tenants had been engaging in prostitution on their

properties.

City officials claimed that four shops -- Hana Acupuncture on West

19th Street, A’s Tanning on Adams Avenue, Creek Acu Therapy on Bristol

Street and Chiropractic Accu-Center on Newport Boulevard -- were

operating prostitution houses. Each of those businesses have denied the

accusations.

Two years ago, the city passed an ordinance that mandated massage

practitioners go through a vigorous licensing process. City officials are

now trying to extend that ordinance to chiropractors as well.